The interpretation of the clinical results of fovea localization in glaucoma diagnostics. Part 1. Population variability of the macula positioning in relation to the optic disc

Purpose: To determine the nature of the relationship between the localization of the fovea, the position of the papillary-macular bundle and individual morphofunctional characteristics of the eye in patients with different eye diseases.

Methods: The final protocol of work included the data of 33 people (17 women, 16 men, 46 eyes). The average age of patients was 78 (71; 81) years. All patients were divided into 3 groups: the first group consisted of 11 patients (16 eyes) with mild, moderate and advanced primary openangle glaucoma (POAG), the second — 13 patients (15 eyes) with early cataract, the third — 9 people (15 eyes) with the dry form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Morphometric characteristics of optic nerve head (ONH) and the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), including the disk circumference measurement on the Elschnig’s ring and the papillomacular bundle (PMB) angle in relation to ONH was studied by optical coherence tomography using the Spectralis OCT device (“Heidelberg Engineering”, Germany). The data was statistically analyzed.

Results: The PMB angle relative to the location of the ONH in patients with glaucoma equaled -7.9 (-8.2; -6.8)°, in patients with cataract — -7.9 (-9.7; -6.3)° and patients with AMD — -7.9 (-8.0; -5.4)°. There was no statistically significant difference in the analysis of this parameter.

Conclusion: The position of fovea and the direction of PMB is a constant population value in patients with glaucoma, cataract or AMD. Foveal location is shifted, on average, 7.9° lower in relation to the conditional center of the ONH, which should be taken into account when analyzing the results of the RNFL study.

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